-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four Nigerian farmers and the environmental group Friends of the Earth took oil giant Shell to court Thursday in the Netherlands to demand a proper cleanup and compensation for pollution in the Niger Delta .

The farmers want the Anglo-Dutch multinational to `` clean up the oil pollution in their fields and fishponds '' and make sure their pipelines are maintained and kept secure to prevent leaks in the future .

The civil case has been filed against the Nigerian subsidiary of Shell , the Shell Petroleum Development Company -LRB- SPDC -RRB- , and its international headquarters in the Netherlands , Royal Dutch Shell .

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Based on `` years of oil pollution in three villages in the Niger Delta , '' it could have `` major legal consequences internationally , '' the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth , known locally as Milieudefensie , said in a statement ahead of the first hearing .

The three villages concerned are Goi , hit by a spill in 2004 , Oruma , affected by a spill a year later , and Ikot Ada Udo , hit by various spills in 2007 , according to Friends of the Earth .

Shell argues that it has cleaned up the spills to the satisfaction of the Nigerian authorities , and has no case to answer .

But Friends of the Earth says that oil pollution has had a devastating and continuing impact on vegetation , water supplies and local fishing ponds .

The campaign group says this is the first time a Dutch company has been brought before a court in the Netherlands over environmental damage caused abroad .

`` It is also the first time that the headquarters of a multinational concern on the European continent has been summoned to appear in court for environmental or human rights violations in a developing country , '' it said .

Shell insists it is `` committed to cleaning up all spills from its facilities '' and blames saboteurs who steal oil from its pipelines for much of the environmental damage .

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`` The real tragedy of the Niger Delta is the widespread and continual criminal activity , including sabotage , theft and illegal refining , that causes the vast majority of oil spills , '' Shell spokesman Jonathan French said in a statement Thursday .

`` It is this criminality which all organizations with an interest in Nigeria 's future should focus their efforts on highlighting and addressing . ''

French said that Shell had cleaned up three leaks at three locations , from 2004 to 2007 , which were caused by sabotage . Under Nigerian law , oil companies are not liable to pay compensation for damage caused by sabotage spills , he said .

The court is expected to hear from both sides in the case Thursday and will probably deliver a verdict late this year or early in 2013 , Friends of the Earth said .

`` Hopefully , the legal route that Milieudefensie has chosen will ensure not only that four people in the Niger Delta have a better life but also increase the opportunity for thousands of their fellow citizens and millions of people worldwide who now often are without rights against powerful and sometimes unscrupulous multinationals , '' campaign coordinator Geert Ritsema said .

The argument over the impact of oil production in the Niger Delta , which includes the Ogoniland region , is a long-running one .

The world 's third largest wetland , the Niger Delta is diverse and rich with mangroves and fish-rich waterways . But oil drilling has turned it into one of the most oil-polluted places on Earth , with more than 6,800 recorded oil spills , accounting for anywhere from 9 million to 13 million barrels of oil spilled , according to activist groups .

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Many residents make their livelihoods from fishing and depend on the polluted mangroves and creeks .

A report by the U.N. Environmental Program last year found that pollution from more than 50 years of oil operations in the Ogoniland region , by Shell and other companies , was more far-reaching than thought .

The assessment , commissioned by the Nigerian government and funded by Shell , concluded that restoration of the area could take up to 30 years , cost $ 1 billion and become the largest cleanup operation in history .

`` Control and maintenance of oilfield infrastructure in Ogoniland has been and remains inadequate : the Shell Petroleum Development Company 's own procedures have not been applied , creating public health and safety issues , '' the report found .

Shell has previously accepted responsibility for two oil spills in Ogoniland in 2008 and 2009 .

CNN 's Alexander Felton contributed to this report .

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The case was brought by four Nigerian farmers and the Dutch Friends of the Earth

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They want compensation for damage caused by oil spills and a proper cleanup

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Shell says it is `` committed to cleaning up all spills from its facilities ''

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The oil giant blames pipeline thieves and saboteurs for causing oil spills